The sport of golf is a very mechanically challenged sport in that a user not only must understand the rules but also more importantly, must master the mechanics of striking and driving the golf ball. In particular, the user must understand and learn the proper stance for striking the golf ball and the proper grip on the golf club. Yet another aspect to master is how to properly swing the golf club so that the golf ball is squarely struck resulting in the golf ball travelling in the desired direction.
Swinging the golf club can be characterized by a number of distinct phases/stages. More particularly, a golf swing is initiated by starting a backswing. The backswing is where the golfer lifts the club from its starting position and brings it above his/her head. There are generally three distinct phases of the backswing, namely, (1) move the hands straight back while keeping them close to your back leg, wherein as the club head hinges backward, the shaft of the club becomes almost parallel to the ground; (2) continue a slight wrist break as the golfer moves his/her arm parallel to the ground and the club should be roughly perpendicular to the golfer's left arm (for right-handed golfers); and (3) rotate the torso back even further so that the club head travels slightly behind the golfer's hands at the top of the backswing.
The next stage of the swing is that the golfer must follow through with the downswing. When swinging down, “haul” the head of the club so that it lags behind everything else, and allow the 90 degree forearm/shaft angle to increase, then unwind rapidly through the impact area. This creates tremendous club head speed while allowing the body to move relatively slowly and maintain control.
The golfer should also make sure to have the shaft leaning forward toward the target at the moment of impact. This will help to have the face of the club face square at impact, an important factor in directional control.
Finally, the golfer must remember to follow through. It isn't critical how far back the golfer takes the club, but if the golfer releases the club correctly, the golfer should follow through completely. The golfer's belt buckle will be facing the target, the club will be behind the golfer, and the golfer will be balanced on his/her lead foot with the back foot balanced on its toe. The golfer should be able to comfortably hold this finish as the golfer watches the ball fly off into the distance. The golfer should remember to keep his/her eyes on the ball during the backswing, downswing, and follow through.
If the golfer does not master how to properly take a full swing, the ball will not be properly struck and will travel in an undesired direction. A golfer is slicing the ball if the ball is traveling to slightly the left (for a right-handed golfer) and then dramatically to the right. A golfer is hooking the ball if the ball travels slightly to the right (for a right-handed golfer) and then dramatically to the left. This happens when the ball has a counterclockwise spin, meaning that it's being hit from right to left instead of from back to front.
Due to mechanical complexity of the game of golf, there is a desire and need to provide a golf swing training aid.